By Aabiyale McIntosh

The National Solid Waste Management Authority’s (NSWMA) collection department remains dedicated to diligently addressing the existing deficiencies in garbage collection.

Michael Joseph, Chairman of the Statutory Corporation, remarked that upon assuming his position, he identified a significant challenge—namely, the lack of a comprehensive strategy to manage the mounting garbage collection needs of the rapidly growing population.

Furthermore, the department’s contractors are hindered by a fleet of significantly aged vehicles that have a short operational lifespan.

Solid Waste possesses a mere five trucks, with only two being operational.

“We had to make changes. Some individuals would have seen that the truck that came was not a normal truck because the normal one would have had some sort of challenge and we had to divert a truck with that because the drivers were not familiar with the area some garbage went uncollected.

“When we get those calls immediately, we deploy a truck and try to address it. We have also been issuing several press releases to keep the public informed. That is something we have been building on,” Joseph explained.

“We have responded swiftly to such situations, promptly deploying replacement trucks and disseminating press releases to keep the public informed. This approach is something we are actively refining,” Joseph elaborated.

Joseph expressed that the authority has sought the Cabinet’s assistance in procuring additional trucks in alignment with his objective of augmenting collection efforts.

“Currently, we only collect 20 to 25 percent at max of household waste. The other 75 to 80 percent we outsource those to private contractors. We are trying to balance it from 20 to 25 percent to 50 percent”.

The current collection rate is 20 to 25 percent of household waste, with the remaining 75 to 80 percent outsourced to private contractors. The aim is to elevate this percentage to 50 percent, necessitating the acquisition of more resources.

To realize this vision, contractors must also enhance their capabilities to collaborate with the authority effectively.